The only person who Buffy frequently says she loves in the later seasons is Dawn. She tells Dawn twice in Season 7. She never tells her friends she loves them at all in Season 7. She only tells Faith: "I love my friends."
Consider how Buffy behaves while under a love spell in "Him". She never says she loves RJ. She instead only works to show her love through an Act of Service. Meanwhile, both Dawn and Willow keep saying how they love RJ. Buffy instead is aware of RJ loving her (even though he hasn't said it) and then demonstrates her love in return (no doubt thinking through a spell-induced haze that he's demonstrated he cares for her b/c of the sexual situation).
Now, compare this spell to the last time Buffy was put under a spell and says multiple times "I love him" and "the man I love" and post-spell that she "loved him." Buffy's ability to be verbally open about her love becomes more and more difficult over the years so that even a LOVE SPELL doesn't get her to say she loves someone by Season 7.
Buffy tells Dawn she loves her twice in Season 7--both times in letters (not even directly to her sister but in letters), a past tense reference about how she "loved" Angel, a slip of the tongue about why people think she's "still in love with Spike", an offhand talk about the movies she "love[s]", and finally telling Faith she loves her friends, but again not directly telling her friends she loves them.
So let's see. Buffy hasn't told anyone to their face that she loves them all season. Then in "Chosen", she tells Spike and it's ridiculously hard for her to say it, but it's true. He's the only one who gets a direct declaration. I'll repeat that 'cause I love saying it. Spike is the only one who Buffy directly expresses her love to. The only one. Not Angel. Not Dawn. Not her friends. Not Giles.
In fact, the one (of two) time(s) she tells someone she loves them in Season 6 is to Dawn in "Dead Things" as she's about to turn herself into the cops ("I love you. You know that, right?... I know I haven't been everything I should be ... everything Mom was...but I love you. (tearful) I always will."). Buffy doesn't even tell Xander she loves him on his wedding day when it's abundantly clear that she loves him so much. She only tells Xander she loves him when they make-up in "Seeing Red" because it's important that she provide the affirmation verbally. She also tells Willow in "Villains" but it's a "we love you" thing and later in "Two to Go" says "You're attacking the people who love you now?"--she doesn't even directly say "I love you" just to Willow (she says they love her as a group, not just Buffy), not the way Xander does in "Grave" over and over again.
Late-Season Buffy only says it when she absolutely feels she needs to say it. Like when she's about to face life in prison or say the person she loves is about to die. That's her way. She expresses her love through action. That's her primary language of love. Action, not words.
In "Seeing Red" she tells Spike, "I have feelings for you. I do. But it's not love. I could never trust you enough for it to be love." Season 7 brings the trust that takes those feelings and allows it to blossom into love. And Buffy overcomes her fear of telling others that she loves them and she actually tells Spike. Only him that entire year.
Why yes, I did just search through all the episode transcripts for Seasons 6 and 7 for all the times Buffy tells someone she loves them. :P
A;LKFJAOEOVNEA. perfect, flawless, stunning, carry on with your bad self.
Then in "Chosen", she tells Spike and it's ridiculously hard for her to say it, but it's true. He's the only one who gets a direct declaration. I'll repeat that 'cause I love saying it. Spike is the only one who Buffy directly expresses her love to. The only one.
The only person who Buffy frequently says she loves in the later seasons is Dawn. She tells Dawn twice in Season 7. She never tells her friends she loves them at all in Season 7. She only tells Faith: "I love my friends."
Consider how Buffy behaves while under a love spell in "Him". She never says she loves RJ. She instead only works to show her love through an Act of Service. Meanwhile, both Dawn and Willow keep saying how they love RJ. Buffy instead is aware of RJ loving her (even though he hasn't said it) and then demonstrates her love in return (no doubt thinking through a spell-induced haze that he's demonstrated he cares for her b/c of the sexual situation).
Now, compare this spell to the last time Buffy was put under a spell and says multiple times "I love him" and "the man I love" and post-spell that she "loved him." Buffy's ability to be verbally open about her love becomes more and more difficult over the years so that even a LOVE SPELL doesn't get her to say she loves someone by Season 7.
Buffy tells Dawn she loves her twice in Season 7--both times in letters (not even directly to her sister but in letters), a past tense reference about how she "loved" Angel, a slip of the tongue about why people think she's "still in love with Spike", an offhand talk about the movies she "love[s]", and finally telling Faith she loves her friends, but again not directly telling her friends she loves them.
So let's see. Buffy hasn't told anyone to their face that she loves them all season. Then in "Chosen", she tells Spike and it's ridiculously hard for her to say it, but it's true. He's the only one who gets a direct declaration. I'll repeat that 'cause I love saying it. Spike is the only one who Buffy directly expresses her love to. The only one. Not Angel. Not Dawn. Not her friends. Not Giles.
In fact, the one (of two) time(s) she tells someone she loves them in Season 6 is to Dawn in "Dead Things" as she's about to turn herself into the cops ("I love you. You know that, right?... I know I haven't been everything I should be ... everything Mom was...but I love you. (tearful) I always will."). Buffy doesn't even tell Xander she loves him on his wedding day when it's abundantly clear that she loves him so much. She only tells Xander she loves him when they make-up in "Seeing Red" because it's important that she provide the affirmation verbally. She also tells Willow in "Villains" but it's a "we love you" thing and later in "Two to Go" says "You're attacking the people who love you now?"--she doesn't even directly say "I love you" just to Willow (she says they love her as a group, not just Buffy), not the way Xander does in "Grave" over and over again.
Late-Season Buffy only says it when she absolutely feels she needs to say it. Like when she's about to face life in prison or say the person she loves is about to die. That's her way. She expresses her love through action. That's her primary language of love. Action, not words.
In "Seeing Red" she tells Spike, "I have feelings for you. I do. But it's not love. I could never trust you enough for it to be love." Season 7 brings the trust that takes those feelings and allows it to blossom into love. And Buffy overcomes her fear of telling others that she loves them and she actually tells Spike. Only him that entire year.
Why yes, I did just search through all the episode transcripts for Seasons 6 and 7 for all the times Buffy tells someone she loves them. :P
OMG sorry for all the edits!
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Then in "Chosen", she tells Spike and it's ridiculously hard for her to say it, but it's true. He's the only one who gets a direct declaration. I'll repeat that 'cause I love saying it. Spike is the only one who Buffy directly expresses her love to. The only one.
Sing it.
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FEKFJ;AIKMVA'AJFIERJG
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